Charlotte City Council Non Discrimination Ordinance

The Charlotte Non-Discrimination Ordinance Coalition was formed in 2014 as a nonpartisan coalition of groups and individuals whose aim is to promote nondiscrimination laws and policies within the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. It does so by engaging in strategic advocacy, community organizing, and relationship building. CNDOC has been strategically advocating with city council and staff to pass changes to non-discrimination ordinances within the City of Charlotte.

Have you or someone you know experienced discrimination based on your sexual orientation, gender expression / identity, familial status, or marital status?

What is the purpose of updating Charlotte’s non-discrimination ordinances?

The purpose of an HRO is to protect and safeguard the right and opportunity of all persons to be free from all forms of arbitrary discrimination, including discrimination based on real or perceived race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, sexual orientation, disability, marital or family status. The updated non-discrimination ordinances would protect people from arbitrary discrimination in public accommodations, commercial contracting and passenger vehicles for hire.

Why should Charlotte update its non-discrimination ordinances now?

All residents of and visitors to Charlotte should be treated fairly and equally by the laws of our city. Arbitrary discrimination against any individual or group is detrimental to the peace, progress, and welfare of the city and ill-suits a community that values diversity. Updated non-discrimination ordinances will strengthen the community by fostering an atmosphere of respect and inclusivity. It will send the message that Charlotte is a welcoming place to live, work, and raise a family. Recent demographic research by Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class, and others shows that cities that are perceived to be welcoming, inclusive communities are better able to attract and retain top talent and cutting-edge businesses. The “creative class”—the entrepreneurs and big thinkers who engage in the business of innovation—take a city’s commitment to diversity seriously when deciding where to locate. Cities with inclusive non-discrimination ordinances signal to employers and employees alike that their communities welcome and celebrate diversity. 94% of FORTUNE 500 companies have inclusive nondiscrimination policies because they know that these policies help attract and retain the best talent.

Why should the City of Charlotte, and not the state or federal government, pass non-discrimination ordinances?

The State of North Carolina should, indeed, pass fully inclusive non-discrimination laws at the state level. However, Charlotte need not and should not wait for the State of North Carolina to act on these critical protections. Discrimination problems exist at the local level, and Charlotte should work to extend these important protections right now. Federal civil rights law is a work in progress, and it is not as comprehensive or explicit as the proposed municipal non-discrimination ordinances. While some of the non-discrimination protections would overlap to a certain extent with federal protections, the local ordinances would extend these protections clearly, directly, and immediately. Further, it would provide another enforcement mechanism, thereby expanding the efficacy of the protections. It is Charlotte’s responsibility to ensure that all residents of and visitors to Charlotte are treated with dignity and respect, and passing inclusive non-discrimination ordinances would be a statement of the city’s values. Proclaiming that Charlotte is a city where diversity is celebrated and people respect one another is a fundamental part of the city’s character and has many powerful reverberations; however, updating non-discrimination ordinances would be more than a symbol. Such public statements have very real consequences. For example, in a recent survey conducted by the Human Rights Campaign, 92% of LGBT youth said that they hear negative messages about being LGBT. Sixty percent of these youth said that they hear such messages from their elected leaders. About a third of LGBT youth surveyed said that their local government is not accepting, and 63% said that they will need to move to another town or part of the country to feel accepted (they are twice as likely as their straight peers to say that they will need to move to feel accepted). Inclusive non-discrimination ordinances would provide these young people, as well as the many other individuals who face discrimination, with a city where they could feel accepted.

What is the Commercial Non-Discrimination Policy?

The Charlotte Commercial Non-Discrimination Policy statement states: “It is the policy of the city not to enter into a contract with any business firm that has discriminated in the solicitation, selection, hiring or treatment of vendors, suppliers, subcontractors or commercial customers on the bases of race, gender, religion, national original, ethnicity, age or disability, or on the basis of any otherwise unlawful use of characteristics regarding such vendor’s, supplier’s, or commercial customer’s employees or owners in connection with a city contract or solicitation; provided that nothing in this commercial non-discrimination policy shall prohibit or limit otherwise lawful efforts to remedy the effects of discrimination that has occurred or is occurring in the marketplace.”

What is the Public Accommodations Ordinance?

The Charlotte Public Accommodations Ordinance states: “It shall be unlawful to deny any person the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, It shall be unlawful to make, print, circulate, post, mail or otherwise cause to be published a facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of a place of public accommodation because of race, color, religion or national origin. statement, advertisement, or sign which indicates that the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of a place of public accommodation will be refused, withheld from, or denied any person because of race, color, religion, or national origin, or that any person's patronage of or presence at a place of public accommodation is objectionable, unwelcome, unacceptable, or undesirable because of race, color, religion or national origin; provided, however, this section does not apply to a private club or other establishment not, in fact, open to the public.”

What is the Passenger Vehicle for Hire Ordinance?

The Charlotte Passenger Vehicle For Hire ordinance states: “No company operating certificate holder, vehicle operating permit holder, or driver shall refuse or neglect to transport any person on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. In addition, no company operating certificate holder, vehicle operating permit holder, or driver shall refuse or neglect to transport any person on the basis of disability when such service can be provided to a person with a disability with reasonable accommodation.”